Toyota 86 GT4turbo added for GT racing

The first Toyota 86 GT4 is being readied for an upcoming European testing regime, powered by a turbocharged version of its 2.0-litre Boxer engine.

The pre-season “balance of performance” sessions devised by GT4 series organiser Stephane Ratel Organisation (SRO) will put the Toyota 86 GT4 built by GPRM – the Buckingham-based motorsport engineering group behind Britain’s first racing Toyota 86 – through its paces before the car finds its way onto a competitive GT4 starting grid.

GPRM directors Gary Blackham and Roger King believe the new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct-injection Boxer engine, developed with the help of Nicholson McLaren Engines, is capable of producing between 265kW and 294kW, a significant step up from the standard Toyota 86 road car’s 147kW output.

Blackham and King say GPRM have gone all out to engineer quality, reliability and competitiveness into the new Toyota 86 racer, to make it an ideal GT4 contender for both British and European GT class racing series.

Though not officially a factory team, the Toyota 86 GT4 project has had the backing of the Japanese manufacturer, with Toyota GB providing technical support to the GPRM crew.

The Toyota 86 GT4 will hit the track later this month, with its initial shake down to take place at a yet to be named UK circuit.